托福阅读真题+题目+答案：The Roots of Economic Transformation in England

托福阅读真题+题目+答案：The Roots of Economic Transformation in England

England was the first nation in Europe to develop a social structure that strongly supported the innovation and economic growth we associate with modern times. England's advantages were many, some of them deeply rooted in geography and history. ⬛ This comparatively small realm contained an excellent balance of resources. ⬛ The plain to the south and east, where traditional centers of English settlement concentrated, was fertile and productive. ⬛ The uplands to the north and west possessed rich deposits of coal and Ron, and their streams had powered flour mills for hundreds of years. ⬛ Proximity to the sea was another natural advantage. No part of the island kingdom was distant from the coast. At a time when water transport offered the sole economical means for moving bulky commodities, the sea brought coal close to iron, raw materials close to factories, and products close to markets. Above all, the sea gave Britain's merchants access to the much wider world beyond their shores.

1.The word "sole" in the passage is closest in meaning to

A most

B common

C only

D nearest

2.According to paragraph 1, the British used the sea to do all of the following EXCEPT

A provide power for mills

B transport materials and products efficiently

C reach all parts of England

D sell their goods to other countries

Efficiency of transport was critical in setting the size of markets. During the eighteenth century, Britain witnessed a boom in the building of canals and turnpikes (roads that could be traveled for a fee). By 1815 the country possessed some 2,600miles of canals linking rivers, ports, and other towns. In addition, few institutional obstructions to the movement of goods existed. United under a strong monarchy, Britain was free of internal tariffs (payments for goods transported across a border), unlike prerevolutionary France, Germany, or Italy. English merchants every where counted in the same money, measured their goods by the same standards, and conducted their affairs under the protection of the common law. By contrast, in France local regions differed in their legal codes and in weights and measures,which complicated and slowed exchange. As the writer Voltaire sarcastically remarked, the traveler crossing France by coach changed laws as frequently as horses.

3.The word "critical "in the passage is closest in meaning to

A essential

B useful

C desirable

D customary

4.It can be inferred from paragraph 2 that France differed from England in which of the following ways?

A France was less unified in its economic structure than England was.

B France had lower tariffs on its roads than England did.

C France had a system of common laws for the protection of merchants that England lacked.

D France, unlike England, was dependent on international trade.

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